Plan the perfect picnic with advice from a pro

Thursday

Jul 31, 2008 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2008 at 8:46 AM

The best way to keep from getting sick at your next picnic is to think of “Fat Tom.” No, Fat Tom isn’t an urban legend based on a guy who got food poisoning at a picnic and died with one hand grasping his throat and another holding a turkey leg in the air. The mnemonic name is just a nice, handy way of keeping picnic ingredients in check so you don’t become known as the one who caused Sickfest 2008.

Deborah Allard

The best way to keep from getting sick at your next picnic is to think of “Fat Tom.”

No, Fat Tom isn’t an urban legend based on a guy who got food poisoning at a picnic and died with one hand grasping his throat and another holding a turkey leg in the air.
The mnemonic name is just a nice, handy way of keeping picnic ingredients in check so you don’t become known as the one who caused Sickfest 2008.

When employing Fat Tom, the picnic packer should think about the nature of the Food, Acidity, Temperature, Time, Oxygen and, finally, Moisture.

Simply put, the foods, especially meats and seafood, should be kept at a cold (or hot) enough temperature and not left out too long. And, acidic and dry foods last longer.

“Basically, you want things that travel light and don’t spoil,” said Dan George, proprietor of Smoke & Pickles catering in Westport and the former pickle chef at The Back Eddy.

In George’s business of catering wood-fired native ingredients and tangy homemade dishes at lots of outdoor events, it’s extremely important to avoid spoilage and to remember Fat Tom.

He said the cook must first think about the food in general, whether it’s meat, seafood or vegetable, and then whether it’s to be transported raw or cooked.

“You will have to keep food cold or hot,” George said. “If meat is cooked at home or is in a sandwich, spoilage is probably reduced.”

Raw foods, mainly meat and fish, should be properly iced and kept at 41 degrees or less if they are traveling, George instructed.

When taking cheese along on a picnic, George suggested using dry cheeses, which “last longer than moist cheeses.” Think Parmesan and aged cheddar, and avoid farmer’s cheese and goat cheese. “If it feels spongy, it’s more moist.”

Vegetables are perfect picnic fare, according to George, who’s been featured in Yankee Magazine, Gourmet and Martha Stewart Living. They don’t spoil easily, and if they are to be cooked outside, they can simply be blanched at home first and finished on the grill.

The same goes for potatoes.

George said there is a danger zone for food, and that is between 41 degrees and 135 degrees, so hot, cooked foods like chicken and meats must be kept above 135 degrees. Cold meats and other picnic fare should be under 41 degrees. Otherwise bacteria multiplies quickly, and exponentially in the last hour.

Chomping on this bacteria, according to George, causes a frequent form of food-borne illness. Another source of food contamination comes from the body of the cook. Wash hands often, George suggested. It takes 20 seconds of scrubbing with soap and warm water to kill bacteria on the hands.

When it comes to mayonnaise, avoid it, George said. A good substitution is olive oil, which is resistant to spoilage. George said it’s an excellent dressing with wine vinegar for potato salad.

Pickles, of course, can be taken along on a picnic and will stay fresh because of their acidity.

George, who authored “Quick Pickles: Easy Recipes with Big Flavor” with Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, offered a couple of those pickle recipes for folks who’d like to flaunt their pickle panache at their next picnic.

CLASSIC BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

3 pounds pickling cucumbers, less than 5 inches long
1 large or 2 medium onions (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice (optional)
3 cups cider vinegar
2-1/2 cups brown sugar
Trim and discard the blossom ends of the cucumbers, then peel the onions and cut both into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. In a non-reactive bowl, toss them with the salt, then cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Drain well. Rince, drain again, then set the cucumbers and onions aside.
In a non-reactive pot, combine all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring once or twice to dissolve the brown sugar. Reduce the heat to low, simmer for 3 minutes, and then pour the liquid over the cucumbers and onions. The cucumbers should be amply covered or slightly afloat. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. These pickles have good flavor as soon as they are cool, but the flavor will deepen if you let them sit for 24 hours. They will keep, covered and refrigerated, for a month or more.

SWEET AND HOT CURRIED ZUCCHINI PICKLES

3 pounds zucchini, ends trimmed, cut into very thin rounds about 1/8 inch thick
2 red onions about the size of baseballs, peeled and cut into thin slices
3 to 4 colorful chilis of your choice, cut into thin rounds
1/4 cup kosher or other salt
1 cup seedless red and/or green grapes, halved (or substitute golden raisins)
2-3/4 cups distilled white vinegar
3/4 cup sherry
1-1/2 cups orange juice
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons prepared curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole cloves
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Piece of fresh ginger, the size of your thumb, peeled and cut into thin disks
In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine the zucchini, onions, chives and salt and let stand for an hour. Drain and rinse twice to remove the salt, then add the grapes and set aside.
In a medium nonreactive saucepan, bring all the remaining ingredients except the ginger to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for three minutes, stirring once or twice to dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot liquid over the squash mixture; the squash should be amply covered or slightly afloat.
Place the ginger slices inside a fold of plastic wrap and crush with a mallet or other blunt instrument. Add to the squash mixture; allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate.
These pickles develop great flavor after a couple of hours of refrigeration and will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for three to four weeks.

The following picnic recipes are courtesy of George and Smoke & Pickles:

SMOKEY BACKYARD CHICKEN

1 3-1/2 pound chicken
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of one lemon
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Let the chicken sit on the counter for 30 minutes. (Editor’s note: Several sources warn against leaving raw chicken on a countertop at room temperature.) Light the grill, using hard wood charcoal. When it is mostly white ash, push to one side. Add a branch of hardwood at the edge of the fire. Set the rack in place. Place the chicken on the side of the grill where there are no coals (not directly above the coals). Cover the grill. Make sure the air vents on the grill are about three-quarters of the way open. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes, then turn at 180 degrees, so the side that had been facing away from the fire is now closer to it. Add more charcoal to the grill if the fire has cooked out. After another 30 minutes, test the thickest part of the thigh with a meat thermometer. When it registers 170 degrees, the chicken is ready. Continue cooking if necessary. Remove the chicken from the grill and place on a cutting board for 20 minutes. Cut the chicken and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with lemon juice if desired and serve at once. Serves four.

LEBANESE-STYLE
GREEN BEAN SALAD

1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and more to taste
1 cup canned chick peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 to 2 cloves garlic
Juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
Handful of fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
Black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the beans and a large pinch of salt. When the water comes to a boil, cook the beans for three minutes or just until they are tender but still have some bite. Spread the beans out on a clean kitchen towel to cool.
Transfer beans to a bowl, add the chickpeas, tomatoes and red onion.
Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt on a cutting board. Set the garlic on the salt. With the flat blade of a knife or the bottom of a glass, crush the garlic into the salt until it becomes pasty. With your fingers, rub the garlic paste through the beans and tomatoes to distribute it.
Sprinkle the salad with the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, mint, pepper and sesame seeds (if using). Toss the mixture gently but thoroughly. Serve at once. Serves four.